THOUGHTS ON: The Valkyries - and expecting everything
It seems everything I read of late has the same message - expect everything. The idea is that if you expect everything in life nothing that happens is a surprise and you are not left feeling duped or that life is unfair. Once you expect things, they lose half their power. Besides, as we discover in hindsight, often there was no need to worry at all. (Though the lesson is rarely learnt!)
At the end of Paulo Coelho's unusual book The Valkyries, he says we can have all the resources to deal with anything that happens. It seems preparation and this all-encompassing expectation can be a powerful duo. In any case, it's obvious that a whole gamut of experiences, good and bad, happen to everyone so it's no use wanting only good things — And, equally negatively, perhaps feeling like you are in some way responsible for the bad when it happens. Stating the obvious? Maybe. But this was something I, for one, needed to remind myself about.
This was part of the main message I drew from the book. It was about breaking your pact with defeat. My reading was that as individuals we can believe we are 'defeated'. I.e. we expect failure for ourselves. We tell ourselves "nothing ever works out for me", "things go great for a while and then it all falls in a heap."
Anyway so I thought the idea of breaking this - or breaking our pact with defeat - was a powerful one. Though, I'm unsure how it is possible, other than attempting to stop the negative thoughts/ negative self-talk. If anyone has read The Valkyries they will understand why I wouldn't want to undergo the methods used there.
It seemed a bit extreme!! It was a very ritualistic and magic-based approach.
The book is an excellent read though. It features desert-dwelling motor-bike riding religious women — who are either mad or wise; I can't decide (but do we call 'mad' what we are unfamiliar with?). Coelho talks in third person about himself and his partner Chris and their visit to the Californian desert to try to discover/communicate with their angels. With some interesting/amazing results.
SM
At the end of Paulo Coelho's unusual book The Valkyries, he says we can have all the resources to deal with anything that happens. It seems preparation and this all-encompassing expectation can be a powerful duo. In any case, it's obvious that a whole gamut of experiences, good and bad, happen to everyone so it's no use wanting only good things — And, equally negatively, perhaps feeling like you are in some way responsible for the bad when it happens. Stating the obvious? Maybe. But this was something I, for one, needed to remind myself about.
This was part of the main message I drew from the book. It was about breaking your pact with defeat. My reading was that as individuals we can believe we are 'defeated'. I.e. we expect failure for ourselves. We tell ourselves "nothing ever works out for me", "things go great for a while and then it all falls in a heap."
Anyway so I thought the idea of breaking this - or breaking our pact with defeat - was a powerful one. Though, I'm unsure how it is possible, other than attempting to stop the negative thoughts/ negative self-talk. If anyone has read The Valkyries they will understand why I wouldn't want to undergo the methods used there.
It seemed a bit extreme!! It was a very ritualistic and magic-based approach.
The book is an excellent read though. It features desert-dwelling motor-bike riding religious women — who are either mad or wise; I can't decide (but do we call 'mad' what we are unfamiliar with?). Coelho talks in third person about himself and his partner Chris and their visit to the Californian desert to try to discover/communicate with their angels. With some interesting/amazing results.
SM
Labels: book review, book thoughts
posted by Smink Works Books @ 5:41 PM
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